The USC Family Studies Project conducts research on risk and resilience in adolescents and young adults. We investigate the role of close relationships—within the family, with friends, and with dating partners—as sources of stress as well as protection. Studies in our lab investigate the impact of risky family environments—particularly those associated with family aggression. With longitudinal data from early adolescence through young adulthood, we investigate how interaction patterns are transmitted from one generation to the next. Our ultimate goal is to pinpoint dimensions that protect against romantic partner aggression and family violence.
Our work addresses connections between interpersonal relationships and the mental and physical health of adults and adolescents. Factors of particular interest to us include how family members communicate with each other in everyday interactions, how they think about and handle conflict, and what happens physiologically when they disagree with each other or when they share emotional experiences. Current data collection emphasizes the role of compassion and ‘under the skin’ phenomena associated with the body’s stress response systems.
Our work has been funded by the NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the NIH National Institute of Mental Health, The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.